Environment campaigners are to demanding to know whether the Chancellor’s
views on energy policy are being influenced by his “lobbyist” father-in-law.

Greenpeace has submitted Freedom of Information Act questions in a bid to discover how many times Lord Howell has met the Chancellor and discussed energy questions. Lord Howell is the father of George Osborne’s wife, Frances.

Lord Howell is a foreign office minister with responsibility for international energy issues in the Lords, but it is his role as president of the British Institute of Energy Economics that is exercising Greenpeace.

The Institute has Shell, BP and BG Group as corporate members, while the Energy Department is one of its eight sponsors.

A Greenpeace spokesman said: “We feel there could be conflict of interest because the institute has backing from oil and gas companies. Has he been bending the Chancellor’s ear on behalf of fossil fuel interests? What conversations have there been over the dinner table?”

Lord Howell is said to be sceptical about climate change and believes the Government is not serious about renewable energy. Greenpeace feels that his approach has been reflected in the Chancellor’s battle with Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, over wind farm subsidies and support for a new “dash for gas”.

Mr Davey wanted to limit a reduction in subsidies to 10pc, while the Treasury, backed by more than 100 Tory MPs, pressed for 25pc. The Energy Secretary won but the Chancellor’s backing for gas resulted in tax breaks for the development of a major North Sea discovery and support for making Britain a “gas hub”.

The Foreign Office sees no reason why Lord Howell should not hold an honorary energy post. An associate of Lord Howell said: “The institute is a professional body. It’s absurd to say it is a lobby for oil and gas companies.”